A New Adventure Awaits!
by PastMemories
Summary: Brooke, a young girl, sails off to the Sinnoh Region in hopes of become the Pokemon Champion. She'll face many struggles while meeting new friends and Pokemon. She may even fall head-over-heels for another trainer. With her goals set high and her dreams on her mind, she'll take the region by storm. D&P Anime Centric. PaulxOC
1. The Ferry has Docked!

The soft ocean breeze brushed against my cheek as I leaned against the railing of a large ferry. I could hear the distant calls of Pokemon as we slowly approached land. The sun danced in my eyes for a brief moment before revealing the shimmering coast and the lush green land of the Sinnoh region. I took it all in for a moment before turning to the mass of orange and black fur next to me.

"This is it, buddy," I smiled. My partner's gray eyes flickered over to me. He was just barely holding onto the railing with his paws. "This is the journey we've been waiting for." He nodded a bit before fixing his gaze back onto the approaching dock. "I bet you're ready to get off this boat, huh?" I laughed. I reached over and picked him up into my arms. Leaning my chin against his head, I breathed in and snuggled him against my chest. "I can't wait until we catch our first Pokémon. That's our first step."

"Ladies and Gentlemen, we have arrived at Twinleaf Town. Please gather all your belongings and exit the ferry on the south side," a booming voice sounded out from the overhead speakers. I could hear the rumble of footsteps as adults and kids alike quickly left the ship. There seemed to be aspiring trainers and tourists mixed in together. I could easily pick out the numerous cameras as families snapped pictures of the new region. I took a deep breath before nodding.

"Alright, it's time to start our Pokémon adventure." A yip responded before I headed off the boat. The smell of sweet grass greeted me as my feet finally touched land. My partner wiggled in my arms and I quickly let him hop onto the ground. He seemed relatively relieved that we're finally off the ferry. He quickly bounded down the winding road of Twinleaf Town, prompting me to chase after him. "Hey! Get back here!" I shouted as I sprinted after him. The wind rushed past me as I kept my eyes focused on the bounding mass of orange. "Look! I know that you're excited because I am, too, but we just got off the ferry!" I yelled. My partner continued running off into the forest. I could feel my heart beating faster as I pushed myself to run after him. "Growlithe! Come on!"

After chasing him for a while, he finally stopped on the road. He was lying on his stomach, panting. "What was that all about?" I had my hands on my knees as I tried to catch my breath.

"Lithe," he let his head plop onto the dirt path, too tired to hold it up.

"Yeah, I have a lot of pent up energy, too," I straightened back up and picked my partner off the ground. "But I think I just used it all chasing after you," I laughed as Growlithe snuggled into my shoulder. The road was covered by a few trees but for the most part, it was open to the blue skies above. The soft rustling of trees and the crunch of dirt under my shoes reminded me of some of the small towns in the Kanto region. I guess there are always some similarities between regions. I kept walking along the road, not really sure where it was taking me, before I heard a male voice shouting. Growlithe's head immediately perked up. "I wonder who that is," I mumbled as I eyed the trees to my left. "Should we check it out?" I took a step in that direction hesitantly. "Someone could be in trouble."

"Growlithe," I felt his answer rumble in his chest.

"Alright, let's go then." I set him down and parted some of the bushes with my arms. We got closer and closer to the sound until we could make out each word.

"You've got to be kidding! Talk about pathetic," I heard someone say. My eyes widened in response as Growlithe and I stopped right behind the bush next to another dirt path. I slowly peeked over the bush to see three guys facing each other. There was a guy with purple hair and an Elekid beside him. He seemed to be confronting the other two. One of them had a red and black cap on, a bird Pokemon on his shoulder and a monkey-like Pokemon by his side. The other had a camping bag on his back and an orange jacket. "Elekid, let's go." The purple haired male turned on his heels and started walking away. The yellow Pokemon smirked before following its leaving partner. I was speechless. The guy in the red and black hat seemed disheartened to see the guy leave. He reached out his gloved hand briefly before retracting and forming a fist.

"Man, I wish Pikachu was here," he growled between his teeth. Not a second later, a giant beam of electricity shot up in the distance. The boy's companion, a tanned skin male with spiky hair, turned towards him in surprise.

"Ash! Did you hear that?"

"Yeah, that's a volt tackle!" the boy in the cap responded before running towards it. His companion followed close behind him.

"Let's follow them and see what that was all about," I whispered to my partner before jumping over the bush and chasing after them. The two guys skidded to a stop in front of me and Growlithe and I headed a couple feet next to them. We ended up at a clearing where a large orange machine with flailing arms was trying to hit a young girl and her Pokemon. There were two people and a Meowth inside the machine controlling it. The girl was dodging the metal arms along with her Pokemon. It seemed to resemble a blue penguin with its body structure and wings.

"Aipom, swift, and Starly, whirlwind!" Ash, the guy in the cap, called out. Aipom's tail glowed before it swung in an arc and shot some stars at the machine. Starly quickly took to the air and created large gusts of air by batting its wings. The moves knocked the machine slightly off balance. "Pikachu!" Ash called out. That's when I finally noticed the small yellow Pokemon in the grasps of two metal fingers. The people controlling the robot didn't seem too pleased at the sight of him so they shot out a hand to knock him off his feet. I gasped as he was flung a couple of yards away.

"Ash!" the tanned companion rushed to his side along with Ash's Pokemon. Ash pushed himself backup and rushed towards the machine.

"Oh no, you don't!" he shouted as they blocked him with a metal arm. The fingers attached started swinging at Ash.

"Don't do anything crazy!" the male called out to his friend.

"They've got Pikachu!" he responded angrily.

"We've got to do something Growlithe," I looked onto the scene with worry. "I know Mom never said to interfere with fights but this is just something else! Pokemon thieves are no joke," my eyebrows furrowed as the people inside the machine rose up on a platform. They stood on it with their arms crossed. They began shouting at Ash.

"This is your lucky day after all!" the pink haired woman started.

"You get to witness the brilliance of the new Team Rocket motto!" the blue haired man chimed in. They went off, reciting a motto by heart. They ended it by announcing their names while striking a pose. In my utter disbelief, however, the Meowth talked and joined in on their merriment.

"I cannot believe my eyes," I gasped as the sight. "I've never seen a talking Pokemon before."

"Grow," Growlithe responded quietly.

"You know what, this can't go on any longer," I glared at the machine. It tried attacking Ash once more. "Let's go, it's our turn for some fun." Growlithe nodded in response and jumped forward so that he was in front of me. "Okay Growlithe, use flame wheel on one of those arms!" I pointed my finger towards the large machine. Growlithe's mouth filled with flames before he spun his body into a wheel and launched towards an arm. He hit dead on, causing the arm to burn before flying back and lodging into the side of the metal body. Electricity danced around the machine as the broken exterior took effect.

"Ash, hurry! I think it's going to blow," the tanned companion ran up to stop beside the girl from earlier. Before anything else could happen, the machine started blowing up. "Get down!" the male shouted before diving for the floor and covering his head. The girl screamed and followed suit. I quickly rushed forward and covered Growlithe's body with mine. Smoke filled the clearing as the thieves were launched far away due to the force of the explosion. When the smoke cleared, I slowly got up. "Pikachu! Hey Ash!" the male shouted into the rubble. The machine was now a heap of broken parts and wires. It was quite for a moment before there was a shift in the dented metal plates. A slightly bruised Ash surfaced from among the metal and Pikachu soon followed after. They quickly spotted each other and hugged with smiles on their faces. Aipom and Starly joined in on the festivities, greeting the Pikachu. The girl and the tanned companion walked forward.

"Pikachu, we did it! We found your trainer!" the girl smiled. Her Piplup seemed quite happy as well.

"You saved my Pikachu. Thanks so much," Ash got out of the rubble and stood in front of the blue-haired girl. He extended a hand towards her. "My name's Ash Ketchum from Pallet Town and it's really great to meet ya." They shook briefly before the tanned companion joined in.

"Hi, I'm Brock."

"Hi guys, my name is Dawn," she replied. "And this is my partner, Piplup." She turned towards me and waved me over. I approached slowly and gave a tentative smile. "And who are you? Your Pokemon really did a number on that robot."

"It was nothing," I quickly replied. I stuck a dark-teal gloved hand out towards her and shook her hand. "My name's Brooke. It's nice to meet all of you."

"The pleasure's ours. If it wasn't for your Growlithe, Pikachu and I would still be in trouble." Ash turned towards me, Pikachu at his side. Growlithe seemed pleased by this and relaxed by my feet. "Anyways, I was wondering if you guys would like to travel with me and Brock. It would be really awesome if you guys came along."

"It's always better traveling with friends," Brock nods in agreement.

"Sure, Piplup and I would love to come with you guys!" Dawn immediately responded. Her Piplup looked up at Ash and waved its arms. "How 'bout you Brooke, it would be nice to have another girl," she looked back at me with pleading eyes.

"Lithe!" Growlithe barked a response.

"Well, looks like Growlithe is okay with it so I don't see why not," I smiled at the trio.

"Alright, well it's official now! Do you hear that Pikachu? We're all traveling together!" Ash looked down at his companion.

"Pika pika!" Pikachu cheered.


	2. The Beginning of a Rivalry!

"Wow! Check out the new clothes!" Ash held his new jacket up to his chest. Professor Rowan, Brock, Dawn, Ash, and I were circled around a table with a box of Ash's new items. His mom had apparently sent them over to the lab while we were still on the road.

"She even got you a new backpack!" Brock peered into the box, noticing the green themed bag. It featured a poke ball design on the front. My eyes wandered before something caught my attention. I pulled out his new hat and compared it to his current one.

"I guess you're really into the same styles, huh?" my eyes flickered between the similar hats. "The only thing that's really different is the color of the pokeball symbol," I giggled softly before placing it back into the box. "In any case, you should definitely go and thank her, Ash," I smiled. Pikachu nodded and tugged on his pant leg.

"You're right. I'll go change into this and call her right away!" He gave a thumbs-up before grabbing the box and heading off to the bathroom. His Pikachu bounded after him. The rest of us parted from the table and did our own thing. Growlithe and I ended up sitting at one of the lab desks and flipping through a research journal. I didn't understand most of what was written but the small amount that I did pick up was quite interesting. After a while, Ash rushed back into the main room. He called Brock, Dawn, and I over to the video phone. Ash inputted a number and waited. After a few rings, a familiar face popped up onto the screen. It was Professor Oak, the Professor of the Kanto region.

"Hey Professor Oak! I just wanted to let you know that Pikachu was returned safely," Ash started. Pikachu leapt up onto his trainer's shoulder and tilted its head at the screen.

"I appreciate you letting me know the good news, young man," Professor Oak responded with a smile. He was standing in the middle of his lab dressed in his signature lab coat.

"And this is Dawn, she saved Pikachu," he turned towards the blue-haired girl and gestured towards the screen. "And this is Professor Oak."

"It's a real honor to meet you, sir," she gave a small bow.

"Well, it's a pleasure to meet you, a brand new trainer." He shot her a wide smile.

"Right, I," she paused for a second, "-hope you don't mind. You love Pokemon poetry, don't you?" she asked. She looked at him with sparkling eyes. I raised my eyebrows at her random question and sudden enthusiasm. Ash and Brock, on the other hand, was completely taken aback.

"Yes, I do!" Professor Oak responded.

"Awesome! Does that mean you know all the Pokemon poets?" Dawn leaned towards the screen. Ash quickly stepped in and held up a hand.

"You don't get it. He's a real Professor, like Professor Rowan," Ash informed her.

"Then how come I always see him on TV reading poems?" Dawn questioned, turning towards the trainer. Ash seemed to be at a loss for words, unsure of how to respond to her words. Thankfully, Professor Rowan stepped in and broke up the situation.

"Perhaps the Professor and I should have a little conversation," the older man smiled at us.

"Well, well! Professor," Professor Oak leaned forward in his seat, getting a good look at Professor Rowan. "Ash? May I speak with him for a moment?" The Professor asked kindly.

"Sure," Ash shrugged. We all turned to leave the two men to their conversation but not before catching the beginning of their talk.

"Perhaps you can spend a little less time reading poetry on TV and a little more time on your Pokemon research, aye Samuel?" Professor Rowan started. I heard a nervous chuckle from Professor Oak before we turned the corner.

"Those two must go way back," Brock looked over his shoulder.

"I guess so," Ash nodded. We stopped in front of a pink couch. To our right, Piplup and Growlithe were interacting with Aipom who had Starly perched on top of its head. It seemed like all our Pokemons were getting along quite well.

"So, what are you three doing here anyway?" Dawn asked curiously.

"Well I came here to compete in the Sinnoh League and win," Ash said without missing a beat. Brock pulled out a small blue book from the inside of his orange jacket and flipped a couple of pages.

"It looks like the closest gym to Sandgem town is in Oreburgh City," Brock read off the pages. His eyes scanned the page momentarily. "It looks like Jubilife City is right on the way."

"That's awesome! There's a contest hall there and I want to be the number one Coordinator!" Dawn balled her hand into a fist and gave us a determined look.

"Looks like Jublife City will be your first contest then," I nodded towards her. "I'm not one for contests so I'll sit that one out. Maybe down the road, though, I can try one. I heard that being a coordinator and participating in contests can improve your battle strategies and style," I looked over to Growlithe for a second before turning back to the group. "Plus, I think Growlithe and I can take the contest world by storm," I gave a quick wink towards Dawn who seemed to grow in energy.

"Well, Piplup and I are going to do the same!"

"It seems like you and I are going to be competing as well," Ash took my attention. "I want to be the champion of this region, too."

"You're right," I nodded in his direction. "Shall we get going then?" The four Pokemon walked over and joined our group.

"Yeah, let's get a good start. We have a ways to go before we reach the cities," Brock pocketed his book and shouldered on his backpack. Dawn and Ash put Aipom, Starly, and Piplup in their respective pokeballs.

"Are we good to go?" Ash looked around, making sure that we have everything.

"Hold on, aren't you two going to put your Pokemons back into their pokeballs?" Dawn asked.

"Pikachu hates traveling that way when my shoulder's much more fun," Ash replied. Pikachu clung onto Ash's shoulder and nodded in agreement.

"My Growlithe loves to sight see so he hates his pokeball. I'm sure he'd burn me to a crisp if I put him in there," I giggled as my Growlithe danced around my feet.

"Wow, that's amazing," Dawn peered at Pikachu in awe. I watched as Professor Rowan walked around the corner and joined our group.

"You'll find that there are as many Pokemon personalities as there are Pokemon," he informed Dawn.

"We really have to get going. Thanks for everything you've done for us, Professor," Ash quickly bowed, forcing Pikachu to rebalance itself.

"Of course, let me see you four out," the Professor smiled before walking us to the door of his lab. As the double doors slid open, we were greeted by the sounds of bird pokemon and the sun. The rays shined in my face for a moment, blinding me. When I got used to it, I could see the rolling green hills and purple hair. Ash immediately gasped beside me. Both Pikachu and he had their mouths wide open in shock.

"Yes? Who are you?" Professor Rowan inquired. Leaning against a tree, the purple haired kid from earlier in the day was giving a smug smile with his arms crossed. He was the one who was confronting Ash and Brock when I first found them. I watched with unease as the guy straightened up and walked over.

"The name's Paul and from the look of things you must be Professor Rowan," he answered. There was an underlying tone of cockiness as he spoke. "I'm waiting for him," his gaze lowered from the Professor to Ash.

"For me?" Ash questioned.

"You've got three Pokemon now, want to battle?" Paul asked. It seemed more of a taunt than anything else. Pikachu noticed because he immediately tensed up on Ash's shoulder.

"Sure, I'm ready. I'm going to be the Pokemon Master and the only way to do that is to beat challengers like you!" Ash put a determined foot forward.

"Pika!" Pikachu leapt off his trainer's shoulder and faced Paul head-on.

"Then off to my back garden!" Rowan announced, ushering all of us back into his lab. He led us to a door on the opposite side of the building. What opened up was a beautiful grassy field and trees. There were a couple of Pokemon here and there living their life in the greenery. We settled on a nice clear spot and Paul and Ash put distance between themselves before facing each other. The Professor, Brock, Dawn, and I stood side-by-side.

"I'll be the referee," Brock announced.

"This is great. I've never seen a real Pokemon battle before!" Dawn looked at the two trainers excitedly.

"Well, you're seeing one now, so hold on to your hat!" Ash smiled before giving Paul a determined look. Paul scoffed. Ash immediately furrowed his brow. "What's so funny Paul?" My eyes flickered towards the purple-haired trainer as I waited for his response.

"Just that you talk like such a little kid," he sneered. My eyebrows shot up in shock.

"Oh yeah?" Ash taunted. His fists tightened.

"Yeah. So like I said before, this is going to be a 3 on 3 battle with no substitutions. The one with two wins first is the winner. Got it?" Paul listed off the winning conditions. I guess they had talked about this right before I stumbled upon them in the forest.

"I got it. Starly, I choose you!" Ash launched the pokeball into the air and in a flash of white, Starly appeared in the air.

"Now, Starly, stand-by. I choose you," Paul matched Ash's choice and sent out his own Starly. Both Pokemons settled onto the ground and stretched out their wings in an intimidating manner. "Okay, Ash, I'll let you go first," Paul seemed extremely focused.

"Right, Starly, use quick attack!" Ash ordered. Starly immediately took to the air and pulled in its wings. A glowing beam of light followed it as it aimed itself towards Paul's Pokemon. Ash's Starly took a swipe at Paul's and shoved it aside with the force.

"It's a hit!" Dawn cheered excitedly.

"True, but it doesn't seem like it did much damage," Professor Rowan noted.

"Plus, Paul could've asked Starly to retaliate but he didn't. That's pretty strange, isn't it?" I sat on the ground and crossed my arms.

"I believe that Paul is just trying to test the other Starly's attack power," the older man looked down at me. I watched as Paul started his comeback while his Starly was still in the air.

"Starly, aerial ace!" he ordered. His Starly immediately swooped away from the ground and pulled its wings in to gain speed. The Starly hit dead on forcing Ash's Pokemon to retreat a second before diving back in.

"Starly, wing attack, go!" Ash quickly commanded. Starly continued on its trajectory.

"Starly, double team," Paul countered. Starly seemed to multiple itself, confusing Ash's Starly. I watched in awe as the Paul's real Starly swooped behind the approaching Starly.

"The real one is in the back, dodge it now!" Ash quickly noticed the real Pokemon.

"Aerial ace," Paul ordered without missing a beat. His Starly took another dive at Ash's and was able to get another direct hit. Ash's Starly fell out of the sky and landed on the floor. It was officially knocked out.

"Ash's Starly is unable to battle," Brock announced. "Paul's Starly is the winner," Brock finished, sounding almost a little disappointed. Ash pulled Starly's pokeball and aimed it at his fallen Pokemon.

"Starly, return, now. You were great Starly," Ash smiled at the pokeball once it returned Starly in a red flash of light.

"I think I figured out your battle style," Paul said. He stood with his Starly still out. The gray and white Pokemon stood focused and still in front of its trainer. "You cover up your attacks by pushing, and when you combine that with a lame-o strategy likes yours, I can't help but feel sorry for any Pokemon that gets stuck with a lousy trainer like you," he insulted. "That's all you've got?" he recalled his Starly and gave the pokeball a hard stare. I uncrossed my arms to ball up my fists. This kid needs an attitude check.

"Aipom, you're up next!" Ash ignored Paul's words and sent out his second Pokemon.

"Stand by, Chimchar," Paul launched his pokeball and a small dark orange Pokemon appeared. It had a small flame in place of its tail and large slightly pointed ears. I quickly pulled out my Pokedex to record the new Pokemon. It seemed like Ash was quick to do the same. "Isn't that nice? You've got your Chimchar lesson for the day." I snapped my dark-teal Pokedex shut angrily. Ash growled before swiping at the air as he commanded his Aipom to use swift. Aipom's tail glowed a soft yellow before it swung it and shot out numerous stars.

"Ember," Paul yelled. Chimchar balled its fists up before opening its mouth and shooting red hot ember pellets at the stars. The two moves collided to create a thick black smoke cloud. I watched in awe as the two monkey-like Pokemon continued fighting.

"Focus Punch, go!" Ash said. This time, Aipom's tail glowed a white-blue. Before it had a chance to attack, Paul ordered a flame wheel. Chimchar rolled into a wheel shape, allowing its whole body to be consumed by flames and launched itself at Aipom. Chimchar disrupted Aipom's move with a direct hit.

"That focus punch disappeared!" Dawn gasped.

"Yes, if a Pokemon is using focus punch and is attacked before the move is complete, the attack cannot be finished," Professor Rowan crossed his arms as his eyes followed the battle.

"Not a good choice of attacks, Ash," Paul smirked. "Chimchar, go."

"Double team, Aipom," Ash pulled a move that Paul used earlier. Aipom started duplicating itself.

"Ember," Paul pointed at the Aipom copies. Chimchar's attack started clearing the fake copies of Aipom. As they started to fade out, Ash began to look worried. When the real Aipom was left, Paul ordered Chimchar to use scratch. Chimchar started attacking the Aipom head-on.

"Focus punch!" Ash ordered again.

"I hope Aipom pulls it off," I whispered as I stared at the glowing tail. Growlithe tensed up next to me as Paul once again ordered a flame wheel to disrupt the move. As Chimchar approached the preparing Aipom, Ash called for his Pokemon to continue waiting.

"What's he up to?" Paul seemed a little thrown back for once.

"Now jump and then dodge," Ash ordered once the Chimchar was a couple feet away. The purple monkey launched itself in the air with a hand and flipped over the Chimchar. "Hit it!" Aipom finished its flip and brought its tail down right onto Chimchar's face. Aipom landed on its feet gracefully while Chimchar fell to the ground.

"Chimchar is unable to battle, Aipom's the winner!" Brock announced with his hand raised up.

"Nice job, Ash!" I cheered. I gave him a thumbs up and a smile.

"Alright Chimchar, return," a beam of light returned Chimchar back to its pokeball. Paul's grip tightened on the pokeball and he glared at it. "You're still as useless as can be."

"Aipom, return. You were awesome," Ash stared at the pokeball appreciatively. "It looks like it's 1 on 1," Ash gave Paul a serious look. Ash walked over to his Pikachu and bent down on one knee. "Pikachu, it looks like it's you and me. Ready?"

"Pika," Pikachu nodded and ran over to the battlefield.

"Okay. Stand by, Elekid!" Paul threw out his third pokeball and the yellow electric Pokemon from earlier today appeared.

"Elekid, how cool," Dawn pulled out her pink Pokedex to scan the Pokemon. It read out fast facts about the electric Pokemon.

"Pikachu. Is that the Pokemon that knows volt tackle?" Paul asked.

"Yeah? So what?" Ash replied.

"So nothing," Paul smirked.

"Alright," Ash seemed to have had enough. "Pikachu, use thunderbolt!" My eyes widened. The voice from the Pokedex mentioned that Elekid gets stronger from electric attacks. This couldn't be good for Ash. I watched as Pikachu leapt into the air and tensed up. Electricity danced around his red cheeks before forming a larger bolt of energy.

"Pikachu," Pikachu yelled its last syllable as it released a large thunderbolt. Elekid just stood there with a smug smile and absorbed the attack. Electricity crackled along its prong-like horns for a second. Ash gasped at the sight of the unharmed Elekid.

"It doesn't look like it did a thing!" Dawn yelled in disbelief.

"Even if we don't go off of what the Pokedex told us, electric Pokemon don't really sustain much damage when getting attacked by moves of the same type, Dawn," I quickly informed her. At this point, Growlithe is sitting on my lap, watching the battle just as intently as I am.

"Thunder, go!" Paul ordered. Elekid sent off a huge attack towards Pikachu who tried its best not to be thrown off.

"Elekid sure is powerful," Dawn commented.

"Pikachu, are you okay?" Ash asked his partner. Pikachu seemed scratched up but still determined to fight.

"There's a reason I let you go first. Elekid and I used the energy from your Pikachu's thunderbolt to supercharge our thunder," Paul smirked. I really want to wipe that look off his face.

"We'll see how smart you are, volt tackle!" Ash balled up his fist. Pikachu immediately started dashing towards Elekid with a huge field of electricity surrounding its body.

"Elekid, protect," Paul countered simply. Elekid crossed its arms in an x-shape and produced a clear barrier around itself. Pikachu's attack didn't harm it at all and Pikachu was instead propelled backward when it hit the shield.

"How did that happen?" Dawn looked over at Pikachu who seemed even worse off.

"Well, volt tackle can cause damage to the one being attacked and the one attacking. By using protect to avoid all the damage, that was very clever," Professor Rowan nodded towards Paul.

"Are we done yet?" Paul asked. I watched as Pikachu struggled to push itself off the floor.

"Pikachu, how do you feel?" Pikachu looked over his shoulder with a determined look.

"Give up." Paul said smugly.

"No way! Are you kidding? Iron tail," Ash pointed at the Elekid. Pikachu ran towards Elekid as its tail started to glow a bright white.

"Use brick break!" Elekid met the glowing tail with its arm. They struggled in the attack lock. "I hate to bring bad news," Paul says as the two Pokemon tried to overpower each other. "Your Pikachu seems to be all turned around, but Elekid's got a free arm! Thunder punch, now!" Elekid started charging its other arm with electricity.

"Not so fast, iron tail is still on the way!" Ash quickly added. Pikachu released its lock on Elekid and swung at the charging arm. With the attack disrupted, Pikachu swung around one more time with the iron tail attack and knocked Elekid back. "Yeah, Pikachu!"

"Come on, brick break again!" Paul commanded. Elekid quickly recovered and started charging up again. It smashed the move right onto Pikachu, sending the small mouse Pokemon tumbling back. Pikachu struggled to get up, watching the Elekid in front of it, before they both collapsed at the same time.

"We have a tie! Both sides are unable to battle!" Brock announced. Paul did not seem pleased.

"Wow. I guess they're both equally strong." Dawn was once again in awe. I placed Growlithe next to me and got up, making sure to brush off my white knee-length shorts. Paul returned his fallen Pokemon while Ash picked up his. He seemed upset because he saw his Pikachu fall a little bit sooner than Paul's Elekid.

"It was called as a tie, so a tie it is," Paul stated flatly. He took out a pokeball and released the Starly inside. It flew away immediately, not looking back.

"What was that for?" Ash growled.

"There's a million Starly's as strong as that one. As soon as I see a stronger one, I'll just grab it," he answered without hesitating.

"You'll just what?" I glared at him. "Why I outta," I gripped my fists together.

"Professor, thank you for letting us use your field. I really appreciate it," Paul turned and bowed at the man in the lab coat. The man nodded in response and Paul turned to leave.

"Come on Paul, let's battle again!" Ash called after Paul's retreating back. The purple-haired trainer had his hands in his pocket and didn't seem to pay any attention to Ash. "Thanks a lot," he grumbled.

"You'll get him," I put a hand on his shoulder to hold him back. "First, you have to take care of Pikachu. He's in no shape to fight again," my eyes fell to the Pikachu in his arms. "Plus, I want a chance to battle him myself." My light blue-gray eyes were trained on his back as well, watching him go. I was definitely going to wipe that smirk off his face.

* * *

A/N: I hope you guys enjoyed reading this chapter. I plan to really establish Brooke's idea of Paul before I plan to somehow tie them together in a romance. Since he's such a tough nut to crack, I imagine that Paul's going to give Brooke a hard time before he sees her as a proper rival/trainer/or love interest. For now, this chapter details the first battle between Paul and Ash. It's a little lengthy but I want to make sure I capture the poke-battles accurately!


	3. Let's Have a Sunny Day!

"Just great," Dawn sighed. She stuck her nose in the air and faced away from Ash. "I could have had a Buneary, if it wasn't for a certain big mouth," she accused with her hands on her waist. I was walking slightly behind the group with Growlithe in my arms and Brock beside me. Ash and Dawn were walking on the opposite sides of the road. My head swiveled back and forth, watching the two argue. It has been going on for the last hour is what Brock told me. I only caught the tail end of it when I came back from training Growlithe. It seems that the two were arguing because they gave a wild Buneary the chance to escape. And apparently it all started when Dawn forgot to enlarge her pokeball before capture.

"Oh yeah? I could get me a Buneary in spite of your big mouth," Ash retorted. He also had his head tilted the other way, refusing to look at Dawn. She turned towards him and glared.

"Next time, butt out," she huffed.

"That's if there is a next time," Ash quickly replied. I rolled my eyes. These two argued like an old married couple. Mistakes happen yet both of them are taking the situation too seriously.

"I'm catching lots of Pokemon," Dawn stopped and faced him. Ash quickly followed suit and leaned towards her, shoving his face near hers.

"You won't if you keep doing stupid stuff."

"Are you calling me stupid?"

"No, but I'm thinking about it now!"

"How can you think without a brain?"

"You tell jokes about as well as you catch Pokemon!"

I sighed, feeling a migraine starting up. At this rate, we'll never make it to Jubilife City. We'll have to spend even more nights sleeping in the forest. And as much as I love nature, a nice soft bed always sounded better than the hard dirt ground.

"Stop it, you two!" I shouted, balling my fists up by my side. "Can't you two just calm do-," I paused as sparkles shimmered around us. We all looked up at the sky in surprise. "What's this?"

"That's called sunny day," Brock smiled. "It's a fire type move. Fire types use it to temporarily raise their power," Brock informed us. He seemed to be a walking encyclopedia.

"I wonder if that means there's a Pokemon battle going on nearby," I looked around, searching and listening for any sounds of fighting. Hearing nothing, I looked back up at the sky. The little sparkles of light slowly fell around us.

"Suddenly, I feel much happier," Dawn smiled as she watched the light shimmer around her. The effects eventually faded.

"Budew budew," I heard a soft voice call. My eyes dropped to the ground where a small, green Pokemon waddled up to us. It had two vines on top of its head and looked like it was wearing a dark green bib.

"Who's that?" Ash asked excitedly as he pulled out his red Pokedex.

"So cute!" Dawn cooed. She clasped her hands together and took a closer look. Ash's Pokedex started scanning the small Pokemon.

" _Budew, the bud Pokemon: In Winter, it keeps its bud closed to survive the cold but opens it again in the Spring_ ," the Pokedex recited before falling silent. Ash snapped it shut and pocketed it once more.

"I wonder if that's where the sunny day came from," Brock wondered out loud.

"It was…hardened words… but reflect hardened hearts." A man slowly walked out from behind a tree. He was carrying a harp and was dressed in loose clothing and a green cape. There was a tan satchel slung over his shoulder. He also had a green hat with a large brim. "Let the sunny day soften yours. For when your heart is light, your mood is happy and bright." He let his fingers strum a few strings. Soft notes filled the air. "Tell me, don't you feel better now?" He stopped right behind Budew, facing us with a calm expression.

"Yeah, you're right," Ash and Dawn exclaimed.

"You should be," the mysterious man replied.

"Oh bother," I mumbled to Growlithe. He barked in response. What a strange man and what an even stranger way of speaking.

"Thanks, I'm Ash," Ash was quick to introduce himself and Pikachu called out a greeting after him.

"And my name's Dawn."

"Hi, I'm Brock."

"You can call me Brooke," I finished up our end of the greetings.

"And I am the Pokemon bard, Nando," the man said softly. "This is my Budew," he looked down at the grass Pokemon with half-lidded eyes. "We travel the world, bringing joy to all."

"Awesome," Ash stared at the Budew in wonder. It stared back with a permanent soft smile on its face. It was one of the cutest grass Pokemon I've ever seen.

"You must have a great time," Brock smiled at the man.

"I got it, now I can show you how strong I've gotten!" Dawn pumped a fist as she stared at Ash with determination. She seems dead set on proving something to Ash. The trainer only raised an eyebrow at the girl's antics. "Nando," she turned towards the cape clad man. "Will you battle with me?"

"If that pleases you," Nando nodded.

"Budew budew!" Budew cooed softly, tilting its entire body twice as if nodding.

"Don't forget that this will be your very first battle with a trainer," Ash looked over at the dark haired girl.

"Don't worry about me," Dawn replied. "I'll be fine."

"Dawn, are you by any chance on a quest to win the Sinnoh League?" Nando inquired. I raised an eyebrow. It's rare that I ever hear someone talk like this but I guess that comes with the bard territory.

"No! I'm on a quest to win the Grand Festival," Dawn corrected.

"I see. Then a contest battle it is," Nando decided. "There's a clearing up ahead that will be perfect for our needs." The four of us followed him as he turned around and slowly walked towards our destination. I've honestly never seen a contest battle before so this will be an eye-opener. I didn't even know those kinds of battles were a thing. When we arrived, Nando and Dawn walked to the opposite sides of the clearing. She pulled out a pokeball and made sure to enlarge it first.

"Okay, first things first, my Pokemon has to make a gorgeous entrance," Dawn announced. "Alright then Piplup, spotlight!" Dawn launched her pokeball into the air. Spot light? That's a first. I watched as Piplup merely appeared without anything special. Wasn't the entrance supposed to be gorgeous?

"I clearly don't understand contest battles," I thought out loud as I eyed the two Pokemon.

"You may have the first attack," Nando smiled.

"Thanks. Alright, we're fighting a grass type so let's use a flying attack," Dawn's eyes narrowed as she analyzed the field. "Piplup, use peck. Let's go," Dawn ordered. Piplup rushed forward with its beak glowing.

"Please, dodge it," Nando commanded politely. Right as Piplup was about to land a hit, Budew launched itself into the air without much effort. It seemed like the Budew was extremely quick on its feet. "Bullet seed," Nando said while Budew was still in the air. The grass Pokemon aimed at Piplup before launching an attack. I watched in horror as the grass type move flew towards Piplup. Thankfully, Dawn ordered Piplup to dodge the attack before it hit. Her water Pokemon safely landed a few feet away.

"Alright, my turn. Piplup, use bubble beam!" Piplup launched a barrage of bubbles, hitting the Budew dead on. The fight continued on, with Budew absorbing the bubble beam and firing a single solar beam to knock Piplup out.

"It appears that the battle is over," Nando put a hand on his hip. Dawn cradled Piplup in her arms before looking up at Brock, Ash, and I.

"How did they do solar beam so fast?"

"It must have been their sunny day," Brock looked up at the clear sky. "And the sunlight getting much stronger from it."

"I see. I'm so sorry, Piplup," Dawn looked sadly at her partner. Piplup cooed softly, reassuring his trainer.

"In any case, this should've been good experience," I nodded towards the bard and his partner. "They're really good so at least you've learned from this," I gave Dawn a smile.

"You're right," she nodded as Piplup waved his wings up and down happily.

"I'm off, best of luck," the bard turned and left, leading the Budew.

"Well that was eventful," I murmured as we watched him go. "Shall we get going then?" I tilted my head back towards the path we were once on. The other three agreed softly and Dawn recalled her Piplup. We made our way back to the dirt path and started heading towards Jubilife City again. "That was pretty good for your first battle," I looked over to the other female trainer. "That probably went better than my own."

"You've already had your first battle?" she looked over at me curiously.

"Yeah, back home in the Kanto region, I battled against my brother."

"Your brother?" Ash asked. I nodded, memories of the battle coming back into my mind.

"Yeah, he's a ghost type trainer. He really loves that kind of Pokemon. He actually started his Pokemon journey with a Ghastly," my thoughts traveled to when he first began his journey. That was about two years ago. "He's hardcore about training. His Pokemon are super powerful."

"That sounds like someone I want to battle," Ash looked over at me.

"You might be able to. He's somewhere in the Sinnoh Region right now. That's why I came here for my journey. I want a rematch and this time I'll win."

"Well, I hope you do," Brock gave a kind smile.

"Anyways, I think it'll be dark soon, should we make camp?" I asked as Growlithe walked beside me. I had my gloved hands behind my head as we walked leisurely.

"Let's continue for a bit. I really want to get closer to Jubilife City right now," Ash quickly answered.

"I agree. Plus, I can't think about anything except for the fact that I can't even catch a Pokemon or win a battle," Dawn sighed. Her shoulders sagged as she dragged her feet.

"Hey, cheer up. Have a nice dinner and get a good night's sleep. You'll be fine tomorrow," Ash smiled at the thought. "Man, I can't wait for a nice hot meal," he rubbed his stomach.

"How can you have a good night's sleep without a bed?" Dawn whined. I always forget that this is the first time that she's been out in the forests.

"Well," Brock pulled out his all-knowing book. "There's a Pokecenter not too far from here."

"Really? Hooray!" Dawn cheered. She threw her arms in the air in happiness. "A real bed and a real room? I can rejoin civilization again!"

"Alright," Brock pulled out a pokeball. My eyes widened. Even though I knew he was a trainer, I had yet to see any of his Pokemon. "Come on out, Bonsly!" The pokeball twirled in the air for a moment before releasing a brown and green Pokemon that resembled a plant in a pot. "Bonsly, we're going to a Pokemon Center and you're going to get checked out by Nurse Joy," Brock held the small Pokemon in both his hands. He seemed overly excited by a mere check-up.

"So that's a Bonsly," Dawn pulled out her Pokedex to scan the new sight.

" _Bonsly, the bonsai Pokemon: being a rock type, it can become weak if its body contains too much water so it secretes that water from both sides of its body to regulate it_ ," the Pokedex recited.

"Wow, what a cutie," I smiled, looking at the Pokemon closely.

"So, did you bring your other Pokemon, too?" Ash looked from the Bonsly to Brock. "My brothers and sisters are watching all of them back at Pewter Gym."

I snapped my finger, "That's right. You were a gym leader, weren't you?" He nodded.

"Brock's family lives there and Brock was the gym leader," Ash informed Dawn once he saw the confused look on her face. Her face instantly brightened into a smile.

"You were? Awesome!" Dawn said.

"In any case, that means Brock knows his stuff when it comes to Pokemon and Pokemon battles," I rubbed the tip of my nose. "It's pretty cool," I added before we started walking down the road once more. "How far is the Pokecenter again?"


End file.
